


I was a king under your control

by frenchkiss



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M, No Smut, Period-Typical Homophobia, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:12:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4505493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frenchkiss/pseuds/frenchkiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam Payne, co-captain of The Rogue and notoriously fierce pirate of the Seven Seas, meets runaway Zayn Malik. This is their love story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I was a king under your control

**Author's Note:**

  * For [khaleesiq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/khaleesiq/gifts).



> hiiiii khaleesiq i wish i could have given you fifty thousand words of this 'verse but life got in the way, so i hope the words i do give you are ones you enjoy!
> 
> any family members mentioned in this are completely fictional and not affiliated with any perceptions of them i've had in real life. same with the boys. they're boyband members, not pirates, obvs.
> 
> (slight warning for some violence and like a two second mention of implied non-con!!!)

_“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!”_

There’s rum flowing freely, spilling up Liam’s arm and staining the frilled sleeve of his shirt. He licks it off easily, none too fussed about hygiene or manners, the taste familiar and nowhere near as burning as it once was. He tosses back another swig from his goblet, keen to match the lads drink for drink. It’s a cold night, but the alcohol warms him up easily. He’s no stranger to drinking a lot to keep warm.

_“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!”_

Another swig goes down easily and he lets out a belch that conjures up a proud cheer from the crew. He stands up and bows dramatically and when he sits back down he’s tugged into a lazy kiss by his best boy who kisses the taste of alcohol right out of his mouth.

“You’re fucking disgusting,” Zayn says, pulling back and wiping his mouth on his sleeve, though his other hand stays tangled in Liam’s dirty shirt. It’s been a while since they’ve had anything clean to wear, or even had a wash that wasn’t in cold seawater for that matter, but like the rest of the crew Zayn seemed to give up caring long ago.

“You’re the one that kissed me,” he points out anyway, and Zayn can’t do much else but smile and grin.

“You’re not wrong,” he says coyly. “Guess that’s proper love, that.”

“Proper love,” Liam echoes, leaning forward for another snog. Zayn tugs their bodies closer, an arm winding around Liam’s neck as they kiss and giggle and hold one another until a corner of bread hits Liam on the temple. “ _Ow._ ”

He doesn’t even have to be told it’s Niall because the lad is cackling so hard he’s almost falling off his stool.

_“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!”_

“Niall, what was that for?” asks Zayn, resting his head on Liam’s shoulder and pouting. It’s a testament to how long they’ve been friends and crewmates and living on top of each other like this that the pair’s PDAs are either ignored or simply mocked these days. When Zayn first came aboard their ship Liam had never been more nervous, and he’d been a pirate since he was seventeen years old, for crying out loud. But the crew had welcomed their captain’s lover with open arms, and despite the fact that Zayn has a morbid fear of water and often doesn’t come up to the deck, he’s part of the family now.

“Felt like it,” Niall shrugs. “Bored over here. Lou won’t pay me any attention either.”

“I’m fuckin’ busy over here,” they hear Louis mumble after a second from somewhere under a blanket. Liam rolls his eyes.

“I hope you’re not alone under there,” Zayn calls playfully.

“Of course I’m fuckin’ not,” Louis replies dryly, just as Harry’s voice can be heard saying, “hi guys!”

“Why are you out here and not in your room?” Liam asks, confused. He knows he and Zayn can hardly talk but he has to ask.

“Because I’m the captain of this ship and if I wanna shag the cabin boy on deck then I bloody well will,” Louis snaps. There’s a gasp from the rest of the blokes sitting around them and Zayn laughs and bites at Liam’s shoulder, eyes up and watching him carefully.

“Oi,” Liam says, pretending to be affronted. He stands up a little too quickly and the rum in his cup splashes out and onto the deck. “Co-captain is the word you’re looking for, and if me and Zayn ever did anything like this you’d never let us forget it.”

“We are literally just cuddling,” Louis grumbles, throwing the blanket down to prove it. He’s not wrong, Liam can’t deny, but it’s the principle of the damn thing. He does feel bad though, because Harry’s teeth are chattering and his bottom lip is blue from the cold. Louis laces their hands and glares.

“You see?”

“I didn’t say get rid of the blanket completely,” Liam tuts, staggering over to them and throwing it back over Harry’s lap, taking care not to give any to Louis. “There you are, Harry lad.”

“Thanks, Cap,” Harry beams, tugging it up over his shoulders and snuggling into it. Liam and the rest of the lads laugh as Louis shoots a glare between both his best mate and his lover. Liam pays him no mind, however, just takes his old seat up again, turning his legs so he’s tucked back as close as he can be to Zayn’s warmth. He raises up his glass, waiting for his crew to copy, and then empties it in one swift swig.

_“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!”_

“You wanna come join us, little Nialler?” Zayn calls across the circle with a giggle, stretching his leg out and hooking his ankle around another stool. He slides it forward and sets it in front of him and Liam. “Come have a little snuggle?”

Niall looks rather terrified, his teeth chattering loudly as he hugs his arms around himself. Liam can’t help but snort an ugly laugh. “I’m g-good,” he stammers, shaking his head. “But I do vote we go down soon. I reckon Maria will nearly have that stew ready, s’been about long enough.”

“I agree,” Liam says, standing up and stretching before tugging Zayn up to join him. “We could all do with getting into the warmth. If there’s a storm brewing then the last thing we want is to be on deck, or to get ourselves ill.”

“Downstairs with us then,” Louis says, wrapping the blanket around Harry’s shoulders for him. “Busy day tomorrow, boys and girls. We’ve got a ship to siege and gold to plunder.”

“He always sounds like a right twat when he talks like that,” Zayn mutters in Liam’s ear, an arm around his middle. Liam laughs and Louis squawks.

“I heard that, Malik,” he shrills. “Just ‘cos we’re not all the same airy-fairy, arty-farty rich boy runaways with an extensive vocabulary…”

“Piss off,” Zayn chides playfully.  “S’not my fault I went to an expensive school and learned to speak correctly.”

“Ooh arrr,” Louis replies haughtily, baring his teeth. “And it ain’t my fault we pirates have an image to maintain. If it weren’t for softy Payno over there you’d probably still think we were scary bastards.”

“Probably,” Zayn admits, grinning softly as Liam takes his hand and helps him onto the ladder that leads them below deck. “But here we are. You lot have me pretty permanently.”

“Ain’t there no arguing with that,” Louis mutters, trudging down the narrow passageway to the kitchens. Liam can’t stop grinning at the exchange, always a dopey fool when his boys banter and chat like this. He presses a kiss into Zayn’s slightly greasy hair, winks at him happily, then follows the lads down to the kitchen for their long-awaited hot meal.

*

Liam remembers meeting Zayn like it was yesterday.

It was probably stupid and definitely reckless of him, following this beautiful boy through the city streets like he did, even wearing a cloak with a cowl. Him and Louis have been wanted for years – he hasn’t been home in so long he can barely remember what it looks like, could hardly deign to call it home, really, when his home is at sea. So when they do dock, they’re both aware they have to be careful and precise, only staying for a short period and keeping their heads low, but Liam can’t help but think there’s something special about this boy, something that he needs to know and understand.

It wasn’t even the boy’s expensive cloak that drew Liam’s eye to him, nor was it the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous, probably one of the most beautiful people Liam had ever seen. It was more the fact that it was clear this boy was _somebody,_ yet it was obvious that right now he didn’t want to be. In fact, Liam was pretty sure he was running away. He weaved his way through the streets but Liam had a sense that he didn’t really know where he was going, so he tried to follow at a distance so as not to be obvious, but quick enough to keep up.

He kept up chase for about twenty minutes, but then he watched the boy disappear into a short alleyway behind a tavern that he was pretty sure lead to nothing but a dead end. He knew in the back of his mind that he shouldn’t, but curiosity got the better of him and he peered round, taking one, two, three steps down the dusty street…

“Don’t move,” a quivering voice behind him said suddenly, nearing making him jump. Liam spun on his heel, holding his hands up in a surrendering motion, but nothing about the scene before him even remotely intimidated him. The boy held a dagger out, but his hands were trembling so really the threat was useless. He took a step forward and Liam obediently took another step back, using one of his raised hands to easily knock his hood off.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he started to say, but the boy let out a sort of yelp and raised the knife a little higher.

“I’m t-the one t-talking here,” he bit out, brows furrowed rather adorably, if Liam was to admit it. “Why have y-you been f-following me?”

“I wasn’t,” Liam said, pretending to sound indignant. “I’m trying to get back to the docks.”

“The docks are west of here, I’m not stupid,” the boy scoffed. “You were definitely following me and I want to know why. I _demand_ to know why.”

“Oh, you _demand?”_ Liam said, trying not to laugh. The boy nodded furiously, clearly trying to be intimidating, but Liam could see the nerves behind his steely features. One doesn’t become a good pirate if they can’t seek out people’s weaknesses almost straight away, and over time Liam has become a master at it.

The boy’s eyes flicked downwards – possibly to glance for weapons or something – but Liam was quick; he grabbed his own dagger from his belt and yanked it out, pressing the tip to the centre of the boy’s Adam’s apple easily. The boy’s dagger tumbled to the floor with a clank and Liam kicked it aside, smirking as the boy flinched and backed himself against a wall, hands up as Liam’s were.

“This is what you get if you’re going to be difficult,” Liam says gleefully. “Now then, if you must know, I was following you. Dunno why, just felt like it.”

If the boy had been scared before now he was terrified, breath coming out in laboured choking sounds. With trembling hands he reached down, only freezing when Liam tutted and nudged the blade forward ever so slightly, not enough to cut but enough to smart.

“I’m getting you m-my purse,” he rasped, eyes wide in horror. “S-spare me my l-life, I beg you, b-but you may have m-my purse.”

Liam’s bottom lip jutted out like he was considering it, swinging the dagger down and away from his neck. He crossed his arms and, after a second of pretend thought, nodded. “Yes, alright, I’ll take your purse.”

The boy tugged a bulging bag out of his pocket, and although Liam didn’t usually care about such matters he could see from here that the purse itself was made of fine material – soft, plush velvet with tiny green jewels on the ties. He almost wanted to roll his eyes.

“It’s not a lot,” the boy said, swallowing loudly and nervously. “It’s all I’ve got in the world though. T-take it, please, and s-spare me.”

Liam never had any intention of killing him, or even hurting him for that matter. Him and Louis had always had a pretty strict policy on instigating violence – tempt and threaten, but never make the first move. Unnecessary casualties were always just such a tarnish on their name. 

But more importantly, Liam actually believed him when he said that that was all he had in the world. He’s robbed his fair share of nobles and men rich enough to hand over a purse that size without any real issue. But this lad looked terrified, too terrified, and the way he clutched at it looked like he really didn’t want to hand it over at all. Liam cocked an eyebrow.

“All you have in the world, you say?” he asked curiously. The lad nodded, arm still outstretched. “All you have in the world, and yet you can afford to buy a velvet purse, new leather boots and several silver necklaces?”

The lad opened his mouth, closed it again, and then scowled. “Yes,” he muttered after a second. “Do you want it or not?”

“Not especially,” Liam admitted, leaning back on his heels and smirking. “I’d rather have an explanation, if you’re willing to give one.”

“An… an explanation?” the boy said challengingly. “An explanation of what?”

“Well,” Liam said slowly, drawing the word out. “I’m inclined to believe you when you say that that’s all you’ve got.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” the boy replied, affronted. Liam rolled his eyes.

“You’re clearly noble,” he tutted. “You clearly have – or have had – money. If you didn’t then you wouldn’t be dressed the way you are, nor would you have been such an idiot as to try and pull your knife on me, which, by the way, _really_?”

“You scared me,” the boy said, dropping his hands and placing them on his hips. “You were following me and I panicked.”

“Can’t be easy to have a man like me following you, I understand,” Liam grinned. “What’s your name, then? Now we’re making friends and all.”

“Zayn,” the boy said, then clapped a hand over his mouth. Liam snorted loudly.

“Ready to give me a fake name now, were we?”

“No,” the boy – _Zayn –_ mumbles, then sighs. “Okay, yes I was.”

“I can’t do much with your first name, darling,” Liam said coyly. “But for the record, I don’t want to hurt you, or take you hostage, and even though you’re clearly loaded I don’t want your money.”

“You don’t?” Zayn asked, sounding genuinely surprised and rather tentative. “But then… I don’t understand, why did you follow me then?”

Liam shrugged. “You’re very beautiful. I’m a bit reckless. What can I say?”

Zayn had grinned at that. “Do I get to find out your name?”

“Liam,” he replied simply. “Liam Payne, at your service.”

“Liam Payne,” Zayn repeated thoughtfully, and it took him all of two seconds to place the name because his big brown eyes grew even wider and he took another step back, body hitting a wall. “You’re… oh my god, you’re…”

Liam pretended to tip his hat and bowed dramatically. “At your service.” He stood up and grinned. “So, fancy buying me a drink?”

“Excuse me?!”

“What?” Liam said, shrugging again. “I’m really not going to hurt you. I’m just curious.”

Zayn stood up a little straighter. “Curious about what?”

“Really?” Liam asked, rolling his eyes once more. “You’re clearly rich, you’re clearly an idiot…” Zayn squawked indignantly at that and Liam snorted, “…and you’re clearly not in a position to turn down friends, I’m afraid.”

Zayn’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not calling one of the most wanted men in England a friend, no matter how nice you’re pretending to be.”

“Hey,” Liam drawled, hand over heart. “I’m not a bad guy. I’m just a bit misunderstood.”

“By the entire country?” Zayn replied dryly. Liam nodded and smiled. “Wanted for how many counts of murder, is it again?”

“Ask me how many people I’ve ever killed,” Liam said, crossing his arms. “Go on, ask me. I promise I’ll tell the god’s honest truth.”

Zayn’s eyes had narrowed. “How many people have you ever killed, Liam Payne the pirate?”

“Two,” Liam said, not a hint of a lie in his tone or statement. “One was on my first ever raid and I panicked. Messy stuff, still feel guilty about it today sometimes.” He shrugged the memory away. “The second was a bloke from back home, years and years ago.” He couldn’t help the way his face darkened at the memory, and even now Zayn has to sometimes hold him through memories of it. “He… he wasn’t a good guy. Caught him…” He coughed and balled his hands into fists, taking a deep breath. “Caught him doing an unpleasant thing to my… to my sister. And I had to stop him, so I did.” He sighed. “I’m not sorry about that one, even if it means I’ve not been home for years. But I’m not.”

Zayn was staring at him with a mix of fear and a softness that would later come to be known by the rest of the crew as his Liam face. “Oh,” is all he could muster, then nods. “I, um, I understand the second one, I think.” He pulled a face.

Liam just nodded tightly. “Well, there, you see. I’m not a killer. I have a bit of a problem with rich people being arrogant and lording their money around, but I’m not a killer.”

“I think I believe you,” Zayn said slowly, then with a sigh he tied his purse back to his belt. “So, a drink, you say?” Liam nodded again, hands back on his hips. “Where would we go for a drink?”

Liam smiled wide, tilting his head to one side. “I know a tavern not too far from here, let’s go there. We’ll have a proper chat, and you can buy me the beer I’ve wanted since about seven o’clock this morning.”

Zayn grinned back. “Okay, then you lead the way, I guess.”

Liam held out his arm for Zayn to take, bowing exaggeratedly like a gentleman, and after only a second of hesitation Zayn had taken it. That was their first contact and Liam remembers it even to this day – the feel of Zayn’s tight but unsure hands around his bicep, the way his breath hitched and the way they clearly looked like they didn’t belong together, yet Liam couldn’t have cared less. The tavern wasn’t far anyway, and with his cloak up and Zayn’s head bowed they were able to worm their way through the city streets with ease.

When they got to the tavern, Liam led them to the bar where he ordered two flagons of ale and a meal for the pair loudly over the hustle and bustle. He was known here, but he knew the punters were discreet, so he knocked down his cowl and joked and laughed with the bartenders, then shot a wink over at one of his favourite bargirls.

“You come here a lot?” Zayn asked over the chatter. Liam shrugged and nodded, carrying the tankards over to the table, where he sat down. Zayn followed suit, looking around him awkwardly and clutching at his purse. “It’s… um… it’s…”

“It’s a shithole,” Liam said bluntly, then grinned. “But it’s my shithole. My friends are here, and I like it here, when I’m not at sea.”

Zayn tucked his hands into his lap and looked around again. He looked nervous. Liam didn’t know what to say so he just took a long swig of his drink. Zayn hadn’t even touched his.

“Are you going to drink that?”

“Ummm,” Zayn said slowly, then nodded. “I guess?”

“You paid for it, darling.” Liam nudged him with his elbow. “Don’t waste it.”

“I’ve never had ale before,” Zayn admitted. “Is it nice?”

“Nope,” Liam said cheerily. “Not really. If it’s cold and refreshing like this, then yes, but warm ale is disgusting.”

“Then why would you drink warm ale?” Zayn said, confused, as he lifted up his tankard using both hands. It was really quite adorable. “Can you not drink it cold?”

“Tell me where I’m meant to get ice from on a pirate ship, please,” Liam said teasingly. There was a pause as Zayn took his first sip, and Liam laughed loudly as he pulled off with a grimace and a cough. “Not for your delicate little tongue?”

“It’s so bitter,” Zayn whined, setting it back of the table, a little of the foam sloshing over the side. “How can you drink this, cold or not?”

“You get used to it,” Liam explained, taking another hearty swig of his own. He belched and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Anyway, who cares about ale? Ale is boring. You, Zayn with the expensive boots and the foolish attitude, are what is interesting.”

Zayn visibly shrunk into himself. “W-what do you wanna know?” he asked carefully, slowly. It didn’t really feel like an invitation to ask, but Liam wanted to know.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “You’re alone now, I take it.”

Zayn nodded curtly. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“And why’s that?” Liam pressed. “Clearly you’re rich and clearly you’re unaccustomed to life here.” He furrowed his brows. “Have you been sleeping rough?”

Zayn shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve been paying for a cheap room for the past couple of days.”

“Ah, well, you do have money,” Liam noted. But he was surprised that even from himself, that wasn’t a dig, it was just a fact. “But if you’ve got money and you’ve run away, I take it you’re running away from even more money.” Zayn hung his head and didn’t answer. “That’s correct, isn’t it?”

“Money’s pretty shit, you know,” Zayn mumbled after a second. “It makes people power hungry and makes people think that they’re invincible. You forget how to be a person.”

“Trust me, I know,” Liam said softly, suddenly not wanting to tease. Zayn looked miserable, so he nudged his tankard closer to him. “Hey, drink some more of that. It might help some.”

Zayn obliged, picking it up again and eyeing it sceptically before he took a sip. “I don’t think my father meant to be a cruel man, you know. It’s just… he was. Simple as that, he was cruel. He wanted me to marry a woman to tie his business with hers, and when I said I didn’t want to then he threatened to cut me off. He threatened…” He cut himself off, then to Liam’s surprise chugged a considerable amount of his drink. “He threatened to have my sister…”

“Oh,” Liam said, so loud that it surprised even himself. “Oh, oh, Zayn…”

“I had to run,” Zayn said, because now he’d started he couldn’t seem to stop. “I had to, because then he couldn’t do anything, and with me out the picture my mother would never have let him. But she wanted me to do it. She said I was being selfish in not and it was so…”

“Hey, hey,” Liam said, cutting him off again. He covered Zayn’s hand with his own before he was aware of what he was doing. “I didn’t mean to tease you like that, I really didn’t. And for the record, I’m really sorry about your father.”

“S’okay,” Zayn said, and he linked one finger over the top of Liam’s and squeezed. “Well, it isn’t but you know.” He gave a weak shrug. “Guess we’ll see where I end up.”

“With me,” Liam blurted without even thinking. “Come with me.”

Stony silence settled over them, and Zayn’s eyes had gone wide and terrified. His mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. Liam went rigid, hand still locked with Zayn’s, and he would have thought time was standing still were it not for the waitress putting a huge plate of chicken, potatoes and gravy in front of them.

“I…” Zayn croaked, spluttering his words a bit. “I… I _can’t,_ Liam, I can’t.” He paused, as if to say something else, then shook his head hurriedly like he was shaking the thoughts from his mind. “No, I can’t, I really can’t…”

“Why?” Liam had to ask. “Why not?”

“What do you mean why not?” Zayn said, voice going up in volume and octaves. “I can’t just join your crew, Liam, I can’t do shit.” Another swig of ale goes down. “I’m afraid of water, I’m…” He looked around the room wildly. “I’m just not a fucking pirate either.”

“I wasn’t born straight into being a pirate, you know.”

“I don’t…” Zayn sighed and ran his finger around the rim of his mug, collecting up the foam. “What are you even doing here with me, Liam?” He shoves the plate of food across towards him harshly, gravy sloshing over the sides. “You wanted a meal and a drink out of me? You got it. I don’t…”

“It’s not just that, hang on,” Liam cut in. “Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have followed you and maybe I’m an idiot for asking. But what other choice do you have?”

“Thanks,” Zayn snapped.

“Zayn, please,” Liam sighed. “There’s… there must be a reason why you’re still sat here with me. I mean, you don’t think I’d kill you or rob you if you were to walk away.”

Another sigh. “No, I don’t,” he admitted. “I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure why I’m still here.” He shrugged. “I don’t have anywhere else to go, or anyone else to turn to, you’re right, but asking me to be a pirate, Liam…”

“You don’t have to be a pirate as such,” Liam said, picking up the cutlery from the table and sawing a potato in half. He dipped it in the gravy and popped it in his mouth. “You say you’re afraid of water, okay. Fine. We’ll find you a job to do below deck.”

“Is that a euphemism?”

Liam cackled. “You’ll fit right in,” he said with his mouthful, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “It could be though, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.” He remembers the heat that prickled at the back of his neck as Zayn flushed and smirked. “Can you cook?”

“Not really,” Zayn admitted sadly. He drained his glass. “Oh, oh, I can sew though. I can fix your ripped clothes.”

“Really?” Liam said, face lighting up. “We have, like, a hundred and one ripped shirts and breeches and socks and _yes._ You could do that.”

Zayn nodded slowly, then carefully tugged the plate of food towards himself. He gingerly picked up the knife and fork and cut the meat off the top of the chicken breast. “So what’s, like, in it for me?”

“I’d… _we_ would protect you,” Liam said, hating the way he felt his whole face flush red at that. “You’d be part of a solid crew of blokes and you’d have a place to sleep and food to eat always.”

“All blokes?” Zayn asked. Liam nodded. “Oh.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, no,” Zayn was quick to add. “I was just wondering, like, if you were allowed to, like, have… have a relationship or marry or…”

“Well…” Liam started to say, then stopped. He coughed. “I mean, I’ve never tried to hold anything down since I’ve been on the sea. When we dock though, I tend to try and find someone in a bar, you know, someone just to scratch that itch.”

“Is that why you winked at that bargirl earlier?” Zayn asked, and _oh,_ was that jealousy Liam could sense?

“Who, Sophia?” Liam asked, craning his neck. “Yeah, once or twice. She’s a lovely girl.”

“I see,” Zayn said. “I’d heard rumours that lots of men joined crews because that was the kind of company they preferred, if you get what I’m saying.”

“I… _oh,_ ” Liam said, then smirked. “I’m not fussy, really.” He poked his bottom lip out in thought. “I suppose not many of them really care. Louis – my co-captain and best mate – he’s been shagging the bloody cabin boy for months, thinks none of us have noticed.”

“Louis Tomlinson?” Zayn tutted, taking another bite of chicken. He let out a sudden laugh, bright and a lot more free-sounding than his previous ones had, and Liam beams. “Honestly, if my mother and father knew I was socialising with Liam Payne talking about Louis Tomlinson they’d fucking…”

“Just as well you’re not their responsibility anymore then, isn’t it?” Liam cut across, reaching over for more food. “Okay, rule one of being a pirate – no dwelling on the past.”

Zayn’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Liam set down his fork and reached for Zayn’s hand again. “Don’t get me wrong, I do get homesick. I really do. But home wasn’t good. And clearly yours wasn’t either if you had to flee so just… remember that. Remember that we’re all in the same boat.”

“Literally,” Zayn chipped in, and Liam cackled.

“Yes, literally,” he said, smile bright and happy. “Pirates… none of us are bad people, yeah? We’re just trying to make a life for ourselves out on the big ol’ sea because nobody wants us on land. And sometimes you’ve gotta pull a few strings to stay alive, you know?”

“So you steal and kidnap?”

“We don’t kidnap often,” Liam defended. “Only if it’s absolutely necessary.” He drained his glass. “We’ve just managed to make a name for our crew well enough to not need to, you know?”

“Am I crazy for considering joining?” Zayn asked, shaking his head. “I mean, everything else tells me I shouldn’t; everything I’ve ever known, everything I’ve ever been taught. And yet… yet I want to come. I want to join your crew.”

“Yeah?” Liam asked happily, too happily, probably. He really wasn’t sure why he was so eager for this boy to join his crew, especially after admitting he knew next to nothing about being sailing (he’s afraid of water, dammit). But he was, and even just looking at Zayn’s smiling face made his heart flutter. “What changed your mind then?”

“You, I think,” Zayn admitted, accompanied with a dark blush that made Liam’s heart flutter more. “I believe you when you said you’ll keep me safe. Though lord knows why, considering I’ve only just met you and you tried to rob me and…”

“Hey,” Liam said, holding out his hands. “I’m a loyal kind of fella. You have to give me that. And I’m not lying. I will protect you, so will the crew.” He paused. “As long as you buy me another pint of ale.”

“I’m sure I can stretch to that,” Zayn grinned, fishing around in his purse for some coins. “When do you sail?”

“Tomorrow at dawn,” Liam said. “Though it’s my ship, we can sail whenever, really. Louis won’t leave without me.”

So the drinks kept flowing, as did the conversation. Liam is pretty sure it only took him that evening to fall in love with Zayn, completely and wholly, and he woke up in his room, naked and sticky and curled around his smaller body. Together, they’d packed his things and headed down to the docks before first light, and that was all it took. It feels like a hundred years ago now, but Liam wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s got his boy and his boat, and he’s the happiest man on the seven seas.

*

It’s not like Liam had any idea that the boat him and Louis were planning to siege the next day belonged to Zayn’s father’s company, but here they are.

It had begun like any other raid of theirs – they’d trailed the ship, flown their flag, and backed it into a corner so they could hop aboard easily. It was their usual protocol and everything was going fine until Zayn went pale in Liam’s arms and starting muttering something Liam couldn’t understand under his breath.

“Zayn, darling?” he asks, cupping his cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s…” Zayn gulps, “that’s one of my father’s boats. I’d recognise it anywhere.”

“What?” Liam says loudly, mildly panicked. “What do you mean? What could…”

“My father won’t be on it, I can guarantee that,” Zayn says, shaking his head and looking at the floor. “But he will hear about it if they see me. He won’t be happy.”

“You haven’t seen him in coming up to eighteen months, babe,” Liam says sternly. “What’s he going to do, haul you back?”

“Wouldn’t put it past him,” Zayn mutters. “He’s not very good at losing. Liam, I…”

Liam smirks gleefully. This victory is going to be even sweeter, he can tell. “Are we allowed to plunder it though? Like, how strong is his guard?”

“Strong enough,” Zayn says, hands tight around Liam’s wrists. “He’s no fool, even if he is a bit of a bastard. Liam, you need to be careful. The whole crew needs to be careful, but… but mainly you.”

“And you’re sure he won’t be on the ship?” Liam asks. Zayn nods.

“Positive. He wasn’t really one for dirty work.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Liam singsongs, before pulling Zayn into a long, drawn out kiss. “I love you. I’ll be back in time for supper, yeah?”

It’s daft, the little things they’ve got into the habit of telling each other, but Liam says that before every raid he does now he and Zayn are together. And he always is.

“You’re an idiot,” Zayn tells him back, kissing him again fiercely. “If you die I’ll fucking kill you.”

Liam just grins. “Onwards to victory!” he yells, pulling his sword from his sheathe and gathering the crew ready. “Louis, up for it?”

“Always,” Louis says with a wink, smacking Harry on the bum one last time before he grabs for his own sword. He jumps up onto the edge of the deck and readies himself to lead the crew across. “No stone unturned, no booty left behind, you understand?”

“Aye, aye, captain!”

Following behind Niall, Liam jumps up and shimmies across the plank of wood connecting the two ships, briefly daring to look back at his lover. Zayn has his thumb in his mouth, inevitably chewing on his nail in that nervous habit of his that Liam hates (he can’t stand the noise). His head is rested on Harry’s shoulder, watching, so Liam blows him a quick kiss before jumping down onto deck and leaping into action.

His crew are well-practiced in this particular skill – letting people think they’re going to go in for the kill and then tying them up easily – so in little to no time there are multiple members of the enemy crew tied back to back, hovering on the corner of the deck while Liam and Louis’s crew starts digging around the ship. Liam and Louis stay up on the deck and begin sifting through the boxes of things, finding gold, silver, and jewels as well as a multitude of spices.

“These will go for an absolute fortune,” Louis says gleefully. “All of this is worth a fuckload, Liam. We could sell this and go on holiday.”

Liam cackles and draws Louis into a one-armed hug, proud of their trip today. It’s been easy, he has to admit, and the glory of this being from the pocket of the man who hurt his Zayn makes it feel ten times better. Giving Louis a quick kiss on the top of his head, he pulls away and readies himself for lugging a chest up and across to their own ship.

“Liam, stop!”

He turns and then immediately drops to the floor as a pistol is fired in his direction, barely missing his left shoulder. He pushes himself up on his hands and looks around wildly, where he spots both Niall and Andy held in the tight grasp of two men dressed in the other crew’s bright dress. He swallows nervously then seeks out Louis, who’s been backed against the wall by another member, a pistol pressed to the side of his neck. His eyes are wide and he’s bleeding, breaths coming out hard and snuffled, but Liam can’t get to him, can’t do _anything_ right now because there’s a tall man, dark and fierce, stalking over to him  and shoving him back down to the ground with a foot on his back.

He splutters, winded, but the man doesn’t seem to care. He keeps his foot heavy on Liam’s back, and then Liam hears the scary, familiar cock of a pistol.

“Get up,” the man barks after the scariest few seconds of Liam’s life. “Get up, I say.”

Slowly, carefully, Liam shifts up onto his knees and then stands, hiding his trembling hands behind his back. This is the first time in fucking years he’s not had (and kept) the upper hand on a raid, and his best mate is trapped and so is his crew and he’s still got Zayn on the boat across…

He feels his Adam’s apple bob as the pistol is thrust against it with no mercy. The man’s hand on his shoulder is harsh, nails digging into his skin through his shirt, and spit hits his face as he opens his mouth. “Pirates on my ship, eh?”

“We… we don’t see ourselves as pirates, not really,” Liam wheezes, trying to gain some of his power back. “More as do-gooders taking what you lot don’t deserve.”

The man laughs coldly. “I earned every penny that went into these goods here. You are nothing but common thieves, stupid and reckless. And for what?”

“To keep alive,” Liam spits. “To keep going when men like you drive us onto the sea. Where would you have us go otherwise?”

“Into a jail cell, preferably,” the man titters, thrusting the gun a little harder against Liam’s throat. “You honestly are the worst thieves. And also idiots. You really thought a boat this size and carrying this much cargo wouldn’t know how to deal with pirates by now?”

“We’re not really pirates,” Liam protests weakly, but suddenly there’s a hand around his neck, tugging harshly at his necklaces. The man growls and brings one level to his eyes, making Liam choke a bit.

“Where on earth did you get this?” he snarls, tugging it harsher as if trying to snap the chain. Liam lets out a cry of pain. “Well, answer me, boy! Where did you get this chain?”

“None of your fucking business,” Liam answers, voice croaky. He wears a plethora of necklaces, he doesn’t know which one he means. “It’s mine now, anyway.”

“That belongs to my son,” the man roars, and Liam freezes, his blood running cold. “That is my son’s emblem that I gave to him on his sixteenth birthday and if you so much as…”

“You’re Zayn’s father?” he blurts before he can stop himself. The man yells something that Liam doesn’t understand and then his back hits the hard wood of the deck, pain exploding up his sides. He’s vaguely aware of voices that sound like Louis and Niall’s yelping in protest, but he can’t do much more than lie on his back and will the pain away.

“What have you done to my son?” the man bellows, seizing Liam by the front of his shirt and hauling him up onto his knees. “Where’s my Zayn, huh? Did you kidnap him, is that it?”

“Did I _bollocks,”_ Liam hisses, head lolling back. He groans and blinks a few times. “I’m not the kidnapping type.”

“Then how did you get to my boy?”

“We kind of, like, found each other,” Liam says, feet slipping and sliding in a bid to stand himself up. “And also, he’s hardly _your boy,_ is he?”

“He’s my son and I want him back,” Zayn’s father spits. Liam fails to fight the urge to roll his eyes. “You give me my son back!”

“He’s not yours to just take,” he can’t help but snap. “He is a grown man and he left for a reason. If you just take him then it makes you no better than us low-life thieves.”

He should have seen the smack coming, but he’s not ready anyway. Pain slices through his cheek and he feels his eyes roll back, nearly toppling backwards. It takes a few minutes for the stars spinning around his head to slow, then he props himself up and spits out the blood to his side.

“Ow.”

“Your insolence will not be tolerated,” Zayn’s father sneers. “Is my son aboard that monstrosity you call a ship?”

“So what if he is?” Liam says, spitting again. Zayn’s father growls some more. “He’s _not yours._ ”

“And I suppose he is yours? A member of your crew, or what?” Zayn’s father taunts. “Is he your cabin boy?” He tuts. “Has my boy really stooped so low as to scrubbing decks and cleaning up after pathetic pirates for a living because what? He’s too useless to be of any real use?”

“Hey!” Liam hears Louis protest. Zayn’s father ignores him.

“Well?”

Liam decides to just bite the bullet. He’s probably going to die here anyway. “He’s mine like I am his. He is my lover, my best friend, my world. My _jaan,_ ” he says, emulating the word that Zayn’s been calling Liam for the past few months. “ _Not yours._ ”

He hears his back hit the floor before he feels it this time. It hurts, it hurts _a lot,_ but this time he’s not yanked back up, but there’s a boot and it connects with his stomach, _hard_. It happens again, and again, and suddenly is eyes fall closed and he lies there, quite unaware of what’s going on because it hurts, it just hurts…

“Liam?”

That’s a familiar voice. It sounds like Zayn, but Zayn isn’t on this ship, he’s on theirs. He’s safe, at least, so if this is Liam’s end he knows that Zayn is going to be okay.

“Liam?”

It sounds so soft, so comforting, so close, like Zayn’s only a few feet away at this point. If he had the arm strength he’d try to reach out for him, but he doesn’t, so he just resigns himself to lie there, mumbling something that could be Zayn’s name but could also be something completely incoherent.

“Liam, you bloody idiot!”

That’s definitely close and that’s _definitely_ Zayn. With a groan he tries to reach his arm out for him but it hits air. That pulls another groan from him, followed by a spluttering cough, but then there’s a hand in his and a thud as a body crashes down next to his. A cool rag is dabbed across his forehead and he tries to blink his eyes open but his eyelids feel too heavy and he’s so tired…

“Liam, oh, Liam,” Zayn’s voice keeps mumbling as he dabs at areas that Liam didn’t even know were hurt. “You’re a bloody fucking fool, but I need you to open your eyes. Baby? _Jaan?”_

He forces himself to take a deep breath and then he feels his whole body convulse, choking on air and blood and god knows what else. Zayn holds him through it, their fingers still tangled as Liam tries to ground himself. But he can’t stop coughing and he’s choking and he’s panicking because Zayn is _here_ and that’s not safe, he needs to get him away…

He tries to force his eyes open but he can’t and the next thing he knows, everything is black, black, black.

*

When he wakes up, he’s in a bright room on soft sheets. _Familiar sheets._ He’s in his room on _The Rogue,_ warm and safe, if a little bruised. He’s absolutely gasping for a drink, and he’s alone and that’s starting to panic him. He tries to call Zayn’s name but his throat feels absolutely wrecked, but then he spots the little bell on the little table (it’s a box, really) next to his bed and he reaches for it before giving it a shake.

Barely seconds later Zayn bursts into the room, a huge tankard in his hand and with a sad smile on his beautiful face. “Oh, Liam.”

“Darling,” Liam croaks, hands reaching out weakly for him. “Oh, god.”

“You’re a bloody fucking moron,” Zayn snaps, but sets the water down and cups Liam’s cheeks gently before kissing him. Liam has no idea how long he’s been out, or what even happened, but Zayn’s the surest thing in his fucking life and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t kiss him back. It doesn’t last long, because Liam’s lungs ache and he can’t keep it going, but when they break Zayn knocks their foreheads together and stays there. “You’re a bloody twat, but I love you so much.”

“I… I love you too,” Liam rasps, mind still a bit cloudy but never too cloudy to say that. “H-how long have I been out?”

“Two days, you prick,” Zayn says, keeping their fingers linked as he positions himself on the side of their bed. “I thought you weren’t coming back to me.”

“Of course I was,” Liam says, chancing a small smile. “Told you I’d be back for supper, didn’t I?”

Zayn looks half teary-eyed, half furious. “If you weren’t so battered, I swear to god…”

“So your dad didn’t kill me then,” Liam says, trying to put a bit of optimism in his tone. Zayn shakes his head and dabs at his eyes. “What happened to him?”

“Louis shot him in the leg,” Zayn says miserably. Liam can’t help but snort, and Zayn glares. “I’m not joking. You went down and he saw red, fucking punched the guard holding him against the wall and broke his nose then shot my father in the leg.”

“Bloody hell,” Liam says, stunned. He’s never known Louis to so much as nick someone with his sword, let alone shoot them in a way that could cause permanent damage. He’s all bark and no bite. “Good on him.”

“I honestly don’t know whether to be furious or pleased,” Zayn gripes. “I got you back but now I can never go home. Never, I…”

“Hey,” Liam says gently, reaching up to stroke Zayn’s cheek. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

“No, but you have every right to hate him,” Zayn sighs. “He nearly killed you, love.”

“I take it he wasn’t too happy when I told him we were shagging then,” Liam says dryly. “God, can I have some of that water?”

Zayn nods and carefully hands the tankard over, two hands as usual. Liam sips from it gratefully. “Not really,” Zayn shrugs. “I think he knew I liked boys but not enough to act on it. I guess he didn’t think I’d meet a _you._ ”

“You flatter me,” Liam says, letting Zayn mop the drops of water from the corner of his mouth. “So then what?”

To Liam’s surprise, Zayn starts crying. He almost spills the water all over the both of them as he curls into Liam’s side, arms curling around Liam’s back and into the front of his shirt, clinging there like a baby to their mother. “I thought you were dead,” he weeps, clutching at Liam’s chest. “I thought I’d lost you and I… oh, _Liam…_ ”

“Hey, hey,” Liam tries to soothe, rocking Zayn as best he can against his aching body. “Hey, baby. Zayn. _Jaan._ ”

“He said you called me _jaan_ to him,” Zayn continues to cry. “He wasn’t happy, not a bit. Said it was a disrespect to my upbringing, calling you something like that in my native language.”

“You’re not disrespecting anything,” Liam says firmly. “He’s the disrespectful one.”

“You’re disrespectful too,” Zayn snaps. “Disrespecting me like that, you utter shitpiece. I thought you were going to die on me.” He sighs and nuzzles into Liam’s sweaty neck. “If you’d have died I would have fucking killed you.”

“Never,” Liam murmurs, kissing Zayn’s hair, his cheek, whatever part he can turn his head to reach. “I’ll never leave you.”

“You told me…” Zayn sniffs, gently leaning them back against the pillows, “you told me, when I first met you, that the sea was your home. And the sea is my home too now, I guess. But it isn’t. Because you’re my fucking home, Liam. You’re my life, my _entire_ life, and I nearly lost everything I have because you got cocky about being a goddamn pirate and having an unprecedented reputation.”

“I’m sorry,” Liam says, wincing as he tries to move his arm to hug Zayn closer. “I’m so sorry, but you’re not wrong. The sea isn’t home if you’re not with me. It’s not, and you’re everything and I’m so fucking sorry.”

“You should be,” Zayn grumbles, then cuddles him closer. “You’re not getting away with pulling a stunt like that ever again, I hope you know that.”

“Wouldn’t expect to,” Liam says, wincing again. “I think I’m out of action for a little while.”

“Are you hungry?” Zayn asks, propping up on his elbow. “Do you want me to get you some stew or some bread or…?”

“Just… just my cuddle will be nice for now,” Liam says, curling his arm around Zayn’s back and kissing him again.

There’s a lot of questions Liam still has, and a lot of worries still running around his head. But for now he’s going to lie in Zayn’s arms, listening to the gentle lull of his lover’s voice and the familiar sway of his boat keep him grounded.

He might be universally wanted and despised for being a pirate, his body may be bruised and battered and shattered, and he may have lost any hope of ever patching things up with his in-laws, but at least he’s found the greatest treasure he could ever seek to find. Home.

 

 

 


End file.
